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Ramnath Subramanian: Education system can hide much chicanery

By Ramnath Subramanian / Special to the Times

Posted:
01/17/2013 12:00:00 AM MST

The Loose Marbles School District in Texas was in disarray. Its superintendent had been fired for engineering a plan that would not allow low-performing students to be a factor in state accountability ratings.

The bold plan called for all of them to be shipped off to an undisclosed location so they would be taken out of circulation on testing days.

The chief of staff who had lent his intelligence and loyalty to the scheme had resigned, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.

And the principal who had herded the students into the bus and acted as their chaperon had also resigned. Subsequently, he had become a consultant for a reputable educational agency.

If members of the school board were nonplussed by the tsunami of corruption, the president's comment to the press was devoid of that sentiment.

"We didn't see it coming," he said. "It was a very clever scheme."

"How do you plan to fix these problems, and bring trust and respectability back to the district?" a reporter asked.

"Well, we have created the new post of Director of Movement."

"And what does that mean? What does the director do?"

"The director will take the district forward."

The reporter was from the old school of journalism. He persisted. "To where?"

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"That I cannot tell you," the school-board president answered. "I think we need tocreate another new position to fully and accurately answer that question. I already have suggested to my fellow board members that we need a Director of Goals. We need someone to establish goalposts."

"There is a perception among the public that your district has too many directors and assistant superintendents, as it is. Are you concerned that the idea of adding two new directors will not be well-received?"

"There never can be too many directors or assistant superintendents. Clearly, you do not understand the science of bureaucracy. And another thing. There is no discontent among the general public.

"The general public doesn't care. The people raising a ruckus are a few elitists and reporters like you."

"Let me get this straight. Are you saying the public does not care about corruption?"

"The evidence is right in front of your eyes," the president asserted. "Loose Marbles has a long history of corruption, and yet, when it comes to school-board elections, it is nearly impossible to get even 10 percent of registered voters to the polling stations.

"If that is not apathy, I don't know what is. Mind you, I am not complaining. It suits me nicely. In this city, getting elected to any school board is as easy as 1-2-3."

"Shouldn't the focus of a school district be on educating children?"

"Shouldn't the focus of citizens be on keeping government honest?" the president retorted. "Let me tell you a secret, which you already should know. Education is the holy cow of politics, and so, it offers a safe hiding place for all forms of chicanery and corruption.

"No one will question or challenge money spent on education. You can milk this cow forever."

"Do you have a message for the people of this city?"

The president drew himself up to his full height, and shouted, significantly, "Long live education!"

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